Beginners take their pictures
The verdict of rookie creators at Nina Ricci, Off-White and Ann Demeulemeester.
PARIS — New talent, new talent, new talent. Every year, fashion scouts and big brands roam the landscape of emerging designers like crows in constant search of their next meal. Prizes and showcases are multiplying — the LVMH Prize for young designers; the Sarabande showroom, created by Lee Alexander McQueen to support emerging artists and designers - to provide a platform and exposure. The industry needs a constant flow of fresh blood to survive.
Three brands have had it this season: Nina Ricci, where Harris Reed made her beginnings; Off-White, where Ibrahim Kamara presented his first solo collection (he joined the brand last season, but the clothes were almost already made); and Ann Demeulemeester, where Ludovic de Saint Sernin loses. Even if new blood is not always synonymous with new life.
Nina in ParisMr. Reed, just 26, a rising London star whose work has reached the Met Gala (on Iman) and the Grammys (on Shania Twain) and been favored by Harry Styles, is widely known for his unique show stoppers. His challenge was to market this sensibility for Ricci, which repositioned itself as an accessible luxury.
Behind the scenes he talked about "bold femininity for girls, guys and gays ", which was expressed in garish orange, blue, pink and green tones, lots of polka dot tulle, lace, giant bows and flares from the 70s - and a reproduction of the top of the L'Air perfume bottle du Temps de la maison as a bra top, in case anyone has forgotten that fragrance is the brand's true raison d'être. It felt less like a fresh start and more like an audition for an "Emily in Paris" stream line.
To be fair, Mr. Reed is the sixth creator that Nina Ricci has had it since 2002 (an average every 3.5 years), which reflects how hopelessly confused brand identity has become. It's actually a blank slate with a scent, which could be a potential boon for a designer with a clear and powerful new idea. But that wasn't it.
Still, Mr. Reed took a big leap forward in his casting, and Ricci was right behind Ester Manas to be the lead the most truly inclusive in Paris. Considering the general decline in size this season, it's worth applauding. And maybe a way forward.
Off-White took offMr. Kamara's challenge was even tougher – he was stepping into the shoes of Virgil Abloh, the pioneering and revered designer who founded Off-White in 2013 and who died suddenly in 2021. While Mr. Abloh was a role model at In all respects, Off-White has been more of an incubator for his ideas about community and access than a brand with a clear fashion identity, and that's where Mr. Kamara begins to build.
The verdict of rookie creators at Nina Ricci, Off-White and Ann Demeulemeester.
PARIS — New talent, new talent, new talent. Every year, fashion scouts and big brands roam the landscape of emerging designers like crows in constant search of their next meal. Prizes and showcases are multiplying — the LVMH Prize for young designers; the Sarabande showroom, created by Lee Alexander McQueen to support emerging artists and designers - to provide a platform and exposure. The industry needs a constant flow of fresh blood to survive.
Three brands have had it this season: Nina Ricci, where Harris Reed made her beginnings; Off-White, where Ibrahim Kamara presented his first solo collection (he joined the brand last season, but the clothes were almost already made); and Ann Demeulemeester, where Ludovic de Saint Sernin loses. Even if new blood is not always synonymous with new life.
Nina in ParisMr. Reed, just 26, a rising London star whose work has reached the Met Gala (on Iman) and the Grammys (on Shania Twain) and been favored by Harry Styles, is widely known for his unique show stoppers. His challenge was to market this sensibility for Ricci, which repositioned itself as an accessible luxury.
Behind the scenes he talked about "bold femininity for girls, guys and gays ", which was expressed in garish orange, blue, pink and green tones, lots of polka dot tulle, lace, giant bows and flares from the 70s - and a reproduction of the top of the L'Air perfume bottle du Temps de la maison as a bra top, in case anyone has forgotten that fragrance is the brand's true raison d'être. It felt less like a fresh start and more like an audition for an "Emily in Paris" stream line.
To be fair, Mr. Reed is the sixth creator that Nina Ricci has had it since 2002 (an average every 3.5 years), which reflects how hopelessly confused brand identity has become. It's actually a blank slate with a scent, which could be a potential boon for a designer with a clear and powerful new idea. But that wasn't it.
Still, Mr. Reed took a big leap forward in his casting, and Ricci was right behind Ester Manas to be the lead the most truly inclusive in Paris. Considering the general decline in size this season, it's worth applauding. And maybe a way forward.
Off-White took offMr. Kamara's challenge was even tougher – he was stepping into the shoes of Virgil Abloh, the pioneering and revered designer who founded Off-White in 2013 and who died suddenly in 2021. While Mr. Abloh was a role model at In all respects, Off-White has been more of an incubator for his ideas about community and access than a brand with a clear fashion identity, and that's where Mr. Kamara begins to build.
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